social psych

What is self-serving bias?

A readiness to perceive ourselves favorably.

What does cognitive dissonance theory (Leon Festinger) suggest?

We act to reduce the discomfort we feel when two of our thoughts are inconsistent.

What are the big five personality factors?

Five traits that describe personality: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism (OCEAN).

What is actor/observer bias?

The tendency for actors to attribute their behavior to external causes, while observers attribute others' behavior to internal factors.

What is groupthink?

A phenomenon where the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides realistic appraisal of alternatives.

What is altruism?

Unselfish regard for the welfare of others.

What is drive reduction theory?

The idea that a physiological need creates an aroused state (drive) that motivates an organism to satisfy that need.

What is regression in defense mechanisms?

Retreating to an earlier psychosexual stage for comfort.

What is reaction formation in defense mechanisms?

Switching unacceptable impulses into their opposites, such as sarcasm.

What is projection in defense mechanisms?

Disguising one's threatening impulses by attributing them to others.

What is rationalization in defense mechanisms?

Offering self-justifying explanations for one's actions instead of the real, threatening reasons.

What is displacement in defense mechanisms?

Shifting sexual or aggressive impulses toward a more acceptable or less threatening object.

What is sublimation in defense mechanisms?

Transferring unacceptable impulses into socially valued motives.

What is denial in defense mechanisms?

Refusing to believe or even perceive painful realities.

What is the Yerkes-Dodson law?

The principle that performance increases with arousal only up to a point, beyond which performance decreases.

What is the mere exposure effect?

The tendency for repeated exposure to novel stimuli to increase our liking of them.

What is attribution theory?

The theory that we explain someone's behavior by crediting either the situation or their stable traits.

What is self-esteem?

Our feelings of high or low self-worth.

What is self-efficacy?

Our sense of competence and effectiveness.

What is the foot-in-the-door technique?

The tendency for people who have agreed to a small request to be more likely to accept a larger one.

What is the door-in-the-face technique?

The tendency for people who have rejected a large request to accept a smaller one.

What is homeostasis?

The state of the body being at a normal rate.

What is a self-fulfilling prophecy?

A belief that leads to its own fulfillment due to the person's own actions.

What is the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation?

Intrinsic motivation is the desire to perform behavior for its own sake, while extrinsic motivation is the desire to perform behavior to receive rewards or avoid punishment.

What is the just-world phenomenon?

The tendency for people to believe that the world is just and that people get what they deserve.

What are projective tests?

Personality tests that use ambiguous images to trigger projection of inner dynamics.

What is the Rorschach test?

A projective test that identifies people's inner feelings by analyzing how they interpret inkblots.

What is the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)?

A projective test where people express their inner feelings and interests by creating stories about ambiguous scenes.

What is facial feedback?

The tendency for facial muscle states to trigger corresponding feelings such as fear, anger, or happiness.

What is the halo effect?

The way we are perceived by others.

What are incentives?

Positive or negative environmental stimuli that motivate behavior.

What is social loafing?

The tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling their efforts toward a common goal.

What is the reciprocity norm?

The expectation that people will help those who have helped them.

What is the difference between ingroup and outgroup?

Ingroup refers to people we share a common identity with, while outgroup refers to those perceived as different or apart from our ingroup.

What are the roots of prejudice?

The origins of negative feelings towards others.

What does homogenization in the context of prejudice refer to?

The belief that people outside our group are all the same.

What was Milgram's study in 1963 about?

A study on obedience involving 'teachers' giving electric shocks to others.